


If You'll Let Me

by accio_spaceman



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Tatennant - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Tatennant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-04
Updated: 2017-09-04
Packaged: 2018-12-23 19:50:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11996787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/accio_spaceman/pseuds/accio_spaceman
Summary: Written for the prompts: “Give me a reason not to turn around and walk away now.” and "I would love to hold you close and wake up next to you. If you’ll let me." as requested by "imnotacommittee" on Tumblr.





	If You'll Let Me

**Author's Note:**

> A/N:  
> My brain is refusing to write the lead up to this scene, but in my head it takes place just after a conversation about why The Doctor refused to let Donna use her ‘womanly wiles’ to distract the guard on Messaline, during which he gives a VERY wrong answer…

“Oh, no, no, Donna, I didn’t mean, that is, I didn’t think-”

“-No, you never do, do you? Never think about what you’re saying or doing. Must be how you ended up with me tagging along.”

“Donna, that’s not-”

“-Just give me one reason not to turn around and walk away now.”

“I… Donna…”

Donna let out a strangled sounding half laugh.

“No. You can’t even do that can you?” 

The Doctor chased after her to the corridor outside her room where he banged on her door until it creaked open just a smidge.

“Donna, please, let me expla-”

“Just don’t, Doctor!” She whispered. “I’m tired, alright?! I’m tired of men stringing me along and I’m tired of being left behind when they’re fed up and I’m tired of being let down time and time again.” She prayed he hadn’t noticed how her voice was cracking. “And I’m tired of every single time I think I’ve found someone different, they turn out to be exactly the same. Including you. Just… Just take me home.” Drained, she could feel tears welling up as she turned away from the alien in front of her.

“Donna, please.” The Doctor could feel a tear sliding down his cheek. This regeneration always had been very expressive. “Donna, please, just look at me?” He was begging now. He gently reached out to take her hands between his, holding his breath as he saw her stiffen and jerk half out of his grip before reluctantly allowing him to step closer to her.

Tears slid down her cheeks as her resolve crumbled, dripping onto the carpet below her as she lowered her head in a futile attempt to avoid The Doctor’s eyes. She hated crying in front of people, especially people who had just broken her heart.

“Donna. Oh, Donna, Donna Noble, Donna, my Donna, I am so, so, sorry. Please, please, don’t cry. I was so, so, stupid. I never meant to hurt you, and I would do anything to see you smile again, even if it means taking you home. But, Donna, please don’t ever think I won’t miss you. Even the thought of you leaving makes me want to curl up in a ball and cry, and if you leave, both my hearts will go with you. I can’t imagine my life without you. Donna- I love you. Ha! Donna Noble, I love you. I love you so, so much that it physically pains me to see you so upset, especially knowing that I am the cause of it. Donna, I love you. I love your smile and your laugh. I love your teasing and your insults. I love it when you wonder in to the kitchen in the mornings still half asleep and the way you wrinkle your nose when I have marmite. Your banana cake is even better than my mother’s was- well… okay, at least equally as good! Well… Okay it’s a very close second! But Donna- Donna, I meant I want to sleep with you, not, you know, although…” He trailed off as a rather vivid image crossed his mind. He coughed sharply. “Anyway, Donna, I would love to just sleep with you. I would love to hold you close and wake up next to you. If you’ll have me. Please? Please, just stay. Let me make it up to you. Trust me?”

There was a long pause while Donna gathered herself enough to speak.

“You love me?”The Doctor swallowed, stunned by the vulnerability in her eyes, wordlessly begging him to be telling the truth.

“I do.”

Now it was Donna’s turn to swallow hard as emotion threatened to overwhelm her.

“Doctor, I- I love you too.”

A wide grin broke across the grief on The Doctor’s face.

“You, you do?”

“Yes, you dumbo,” she weakly smiled back at him before her sad façade resumed its place. 

“But I… I don’t know if…”

“If what, Donna?”

“I’ve been hurt so many times, by so many people, and I don’t… I don’t know if I have any trust left. I feel broken, Doctor.”

The Doctor folded his arms around her and drew her into his chest, relieved when she didn’t resist.

“Then let me help you mend. Let me help you try. Can you do that?” 

 “Okay.”


End file.
